As the summer travel season starts, Elk Grove Police have initiated a zero tolerance enforcement of seat belt laws.

The enforcement program, which started yesterday and will be in force until June 4, seeks to increase compliance for seat belt usage just as one of the busiest vehicle travel weekends with starts with the three day Memorial Day holiday.

“Our law enforcement personnel see firsthand the loss of life when people refuse to buckle
up,” Elk Grove Police Chief Bryan Noblett said. “It’s such a simple thing, and it should be
an automatic next step after sitting down in a vehicle.”

According to the statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half
of the 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2015 were unrestrained.
During nighttime hours, that number soared to 57 percent of those killed.

Participating law
enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement,
writing citations day and night. In Elk Grove, the ticket cost for an adult seat belt violation
is $162, with penalties for not restraining a child at $465.

“Please, help us spread this life-saving message before one more friend or family member
is killed as a result of this senseless inaction,” Noblett said. “Seat belts save lives,
and everyone needs to remember to buckle up, every trip, every time.”

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit
www.nhtsa.gov/ciot